CHAPTER 2MILITARY JUSTICE AND BEARINGEvery state and city in the United States has lawsagainst murder, robbery, and assault. There also arelaws for safety, traffic safety, fire prevention, and thegood order of the populace. To discouragelawbreakers, federal, state, and local governments setup penalties that are proportionate to the crimescommitted. The penalties range from fines for minorinfractions of the law, to long-term jail sentences foroffenses such as robbery, assault, or manslaughter, toexecution for murder.The Navy is no different. We have laws andregulations to govern us in much the same way as thegovernments mentioned above govern civilians. Forexample, we punish crimes of theft, assault, andmurder as severely as the civilian community. Inaddition to those regulations, the Navy has laws thatare peculiar only to the military establishment.The laws and regulations that govern us in theNavy exist to help, not hinder, us. In any organization,discipline and justice are essential. In this chapter, youwill be presented with material about proper militaryconduct, discipline, punishment, justice, and uniformregulations in the United States Navy.PETTY OFFICERS AUTHORITYLearning Objectives: Recognize the differencebetween general authority and organizational authority.Recall nonpunitive measures available to supervisors.Authority is a necessary leadership tool. However,it can never take the place of strong, positiveleadership. When you make petty officer third classand later when you advance in rate as a petty officer(PO), you often will need to consider your authorityand the effect your use of it will have on the people forwhom you are responsible.Authority ties directly to your duties andresponsibilities. The exercise of authority links to youracceptance of responsibility. You are given authorityonly to support you in carrying out your assigned dutiesand responsibilities. You have general authority as apetty officer by virtue of your position in the Navyorganization, and you have organizational authorityby virtue of the particular billet you are holding.GENERAL AUTHORITYYour general authority as a PO stems from article1037 of U.S. Navy Regulations (Authority of WarrantOfficers, Non-Commissioned Officers and PettyOfficers). Article 1020 (Exercise of Authority) givesyou the right to exercise authority over all personssubordinate to you. Article 1132 (Compliance withLawful Orders) charges subordinates to obey theirsuperiors.ORGANIZATIONAL AUTHORITYPetty officers derive their organizational authorityfrom their assigned billets within a particular command.This command organizational structure comes fromStandard Organization and Regulations of the U.S.Navy. That Navy instruction provides regulations andguidance governing the conduct of all members of theNavy. It also specifies the individual duties andresponsibilities of personnel within a unit organizationfrom the commanding officer down to the messenger ofthe watch. Articles 1020 and 1037 of U.S. NavyRegulations grant officers, warrant officers, and pettyofficers the authority needed to perform their duties.Authority includes the right to require action ofothers. We direct the actions of others by oral or writtenorders that are subject to general limitations. Ordersmust be lawful since subordinates are required to obeylawful orders only (article 1132, U.S. NavyRegulations). We must not characterize orders withtyrannical or capricious conduct (an erratic change inbehavior) or by abusive language (article 1023, U.S.Navy Regulations). Since authority is given only tofulfill duties and responsibilities, we need to delegateonly as much organizational authority as necessary to2-1Ever since the beginning of navies, there have been laws peculiarlyapplicable to the sea and seafaring people.Rear Admiral Albert E. Jarrell, USN